The Cosmics

The Cosmics are a three piece hailing from Ireland who, despite such little output, have already played Glasto, Isle of Wight, Kendal Calling and Reading festival.

Our friends/inspiration over at https://www.thezineuk.co.uk/ are hosting their Christmas party at Camden’s Monarch Tuesday 4th December so, to whet the appetite, lets check some tunes out:

Johnny

On this tale of the bad boy and his undeniable allure, The Cosmics have taken their love of Sonic Youth and condensed it into a Ramones via Iggy Pop romp.

Inishfree

It’s inevitable that this year’s single would surpass 2017’s work but, the caution to the wind approach was not. To pull this off at such a fledgling stage is quite something.

The riff, a nod to Oasis’ ‘Listen Up’ is distorted through a MBV prism whirs throughout, the perfect platform for the mayhem that ensues. Singer, Erin Grace, adopts the style of Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell. The co-opting of poetry and angst ridden punk combusts perfectly alongside the explosion of Sonic Youth guitars.

Waste of Time

What an opening line!

“I only liked you for your 90s vibes”

Setting the sardonic and cutting tone from the start on this ex bashing banger!

*Image courtesy of Psychedelic Eye 

Lacuna Bloome

Hailing from Brighton, Lacuna Bloome are a four piece made up of Niall Logue (vocals, guitar), Sam Leaver (guitar), Molly Walker (bass) and Noah Haines (drums).

With airplay from John Kennedy and b-listed on Amazing Radio, their stock is rising fast. They have now been added to This Feeling’s #Alive tour this autumn. So, let’s see what all the fuss is about:

I Am

A hazy indie rock n roll number with summer tinged nods to the Roses, C86, Ride and the baggy period of Blur.

There is no denying that we live in fractious times. However, when a single, this effortless and free flowing emerges, it's as though peace and utopia have been achieved.

Alright

 On ‘Alright’, they combine their lyrical romanticism with the driving guitars of Teenage Fanclub on this swirling pop-pysche number.  The spirit of Douglas Copland's 'Generation X' is evoked as they conjure their own world and rail against the tomorrow their being denied. It’s one thing to go against the grain in a band, to do it sounding this joyous is another thing altogether.

Getrz

Getrz are a four piece from Swindon. Recently, they have supported the mighty Sisteray and played Truck Festival to glowing reviews.

Lets see what they have been releasing in 2018:

P.S.A

Another product of the growing dissident punkadelic movement. They straddle the heavy hitting riffs of Breed and the warped psyche of The Blinders. P.S.A is the next line in dystopian rock n roll for this generation to unite behind.

Striking out against all those who ignore them, Getrz are righteous, Getrz are furious and Getrz are your clarion call:

“You're running the country / But you've got no money”

We are the 99%, we are the upper class!

Old Town

With nods to The Libertines' vocal delivery of 'Barbarians' and The Strokes' riffs on 'Soma', Getrz have found their alternative soul. It is one full of desperation and degradation, they showcase all the hallmarks of the next aggressive yet fragile sounding icons.

Insomnichord

We always aim to make support slots, you never know when something will blow you away. Insomnichord were ones we walked in late on (thanks TFL) at Water Rats last month. What we walked into was mesmeric!

A cacophony of spiralling psychedelia and otherworldliness just kept pouring out of them like machine gun fire. Let’s take a look at their debut single:

Oh Henry! Oh Man!

The hallucinogenic mind set of Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd oozes through Rollo Ellison's soft vocal. The need to dare like King Crimson is immediate as well.

The manner they fire the guitar solo just seconds from the start is, in spirit not sound, the genius of Peter Green. It’s the ability to take a an aged genre, in this case psyche, stick to its principles but get right in your face with them like Green did with the Blues that’s so impressive

With The Horrors returning later this year, a support slot beckons!

Image Source: Jacob Coleman

485c

485c are signed to the legendary Fierce Panda label and its not hard to see why:

Kapow

If 'Kapow' were to create a guitar sound venn diagram, it would have The Strokes one side, Dutch Uncles the other. The immediacy and power of the New Yorkers is channeled through the Stockport art rocker pioneers. As so many peers are cutting loose, 485c have taken a really interested side route to glory here.

Better The Man

An infectious indie guitar gem which illuminates the darkest of moods. Move over Belle & Sebastien, infectious indie rock has a new king.

Strange Medicine

When all the great mid 00s bands went off to record new material or on to side projects, the mainstream vultures swooned in Scouting for Girls and The Hooisers and killed the scene stone dead.

Strange Medicine is the perfect tonic to that injustice. It resets the clock to The Strokes’ ‘Is This It’ and has lovable rawness to it like The Cribs classic ‘Martell’. Guitars are pop, pop are guitars!

Image Source: Domante Kaminskaite  http://www.dkaminskaite.com/

RedFaces

Quite how Sheffield keeps producing exciting rock n roll bands is beyond this Essex outsider. However, in RedFaces, they have an act with perhaps more pop instincts than anyone in the past five years. Here's why:

Take It or Leave It

The trippy bass line, the warped synths and the defiant rock n roll message, Kasabian’s legacy begins here. It’s not got the hallmark quality of the Kasabian debut, but it does have that free flowing youthfulness which will carry it a long way.

Wise Up

The poppy riff will bring ELO to mind and, as this rock n roll standard develops, the traits of Britpop and The View begin to emerge. There is a sense of urgency that can omly emerge from young outsiders looking to make their mark. This is a real return to garage pop music, long may it continue.

Avalanche Party

Hailing from Castleton in North Yorkshire, Avalanche Party are a five piece who are hell bent on taking garage rock n roll to the stadium masses. Lets find out why:

I'm so wet

This marches to the spirit of The Doors via a darker and more dangerous landscape. The swirling guitars and psyche keys project and a rage that keeps appearing the best new bands of late (Cabbage, The Blinders, Dead Pretties). However, there appears to be a level of old school musicianship and pop sensibilities lurking behind the fury, this, more than anything, will carry this band far!

Solid Gold

FINALLY! Someone has taken the quality of Ty Segall and Thee Oh Sees and channelled it through death defying rock n roll. The aforementioned are great, but, the extrovert death defying spirit of AP could just take that sound to the masses.

Revolution

Another example of AP taking injecting classic genres with a new lease of life. The glam-psyche of Tame Impala's classic 'Lonerism' and has been cross bred with the immediacy of early BRMC via the vastness of Soundtracks Of Our Lives. Besides the fact it sounds great, it’s the ambition of it all that listeners will latch on to in these bleak times.

Dead Pretties

Dead Pretties are a London a three piece made up of Jacob Slater, Oscar Browne and Ben Firth. 

Social Experiment

There haven’t been many better debut singles in recent times. It’s a wry English take on Nirvana and The Strokes, and Jacob Slater’s vocals are outstanding. Despite the big riffs, it is Slater’s vocal hook on the chorus “all the girls and the boys / went to parties in disguise” is so contagious you’ll need an ambulance.

Water

This tale of self-destruction is pure unadulterated rock music. It screams uncompromising! Better still, it has enough melody and snarl to unite rock n rollers and punks.

Confidence

Sick of media outlets employing people to be obnoxious and vile to garner reaction and not further debate, Dead Pretties have drawn a battle line, it’s obvious what side to be on.

Slater’s vocals star again! They flit between Craig Nicholls (The Vines) and Johnny Cooke (Dogs) and deliver a powerhouse of smoky disdain. Coupled with the psyche wig out and you have a bonafide anthem.

Queen Zee and The Sasstones

The Liverpool five piece have been causing quite the stir with their blistering and unruly live shows. We delve into their catalogue to find out more:

Idle Crown

Their last single meshes the angular guitar work of Wire, Television and Johnny Marr’s solo albums with Cabbage-esque vocals during the exciting verses. However, it’s the euphoric closing stages that this song comes to life. With a heavy dose of Therapy?’s banger ‘Screamager’ on show, ‘Idle Crown’ becomes an outsider anthem for all alternative dancefloors!

Boy

If Buzzcocks and Cabbage were to form a supergroup, this would be the results. Sarcasm and wit enthuse the lyrics whilst musically, a savage melody envelops. Whilst sonically worlds apart, the pop nous combining with a ferocious underground sound does conjure images of Nirvana at their best.

I Hate Your New Boyfriend

The relentless but tuneful power in the first half of this track brings the mighty Jim Jones Revue to mind. Then, 2mins into the chaos, something remarkable happens. All the power of Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine pours out of the guitars and cascading drums. The Mark E Smith vocal delivery over the top brings a new fire to the genre and takes an aged story of ex-partner envy into the incredible interesting territories.

Yassassin

The London five piece have recently wowed crowds supporting Sleeper on their comeback tour. Now its time for Yassassin to build their own legend.

Social Politics

Their debut single is a catalogue of post punk guitar styles. Ranging from The Breeders to the godlike PJ Harvey, they have produced a solid rebel anthem.

Cheery Pie

An almost slacker rock approach to this number. The slow vocal drawl allows this song to casually build until its glorious Sleater Kinney inspired climax.

Seasoned Like A Chicken

A straight up punk record. Full of attitude and spite, Yassassin get right in people’s faces on this one. The Graham Coxon guitars allow for enough melody to creep in and make this that rare breed of intelligent pop music.

Is Bliss

Hailing from Portsmouth, Is Bliss are a three piece comprised of Jamie Stuart, Dean Edwards and Sam Speakman. They are part of the brilliant AC30 record label setup and will be headlining The Shackwell Arms in Shoreditch Friday 12th January.

Into A Dream

Many bands will talk about what they want to sound like. Few can deliver it within a minute of a song. The opening contains Syd Barret pop-psyche and the stormy shoegaze of Ride's 'Leave Them All Behind' and 'Unfamiliar'.

Amid the turbulence, lies sitar playing reminiscent of Elephant Stone. Not only does it cut through the heavier guitars, it showcases a band with real vision and ability to back it up.

Ocean Blue

Trippy and expansive, 'Ocean Blue' brings to mind the vast ambition of The Verve's 'Gravity Grave' and 'Star Sail'. It has an infectiousness and immediacy to it which begs to open sets a big venues.

Goat Girl

What a fantastic story this band are. Reigniting the DIY scene in South London, they have been forging their own path through a burgeoning community of like-minded souls. Imagine that, people helping each other out! It makes being in a band mean something more than Youtube hits.

Romance aside, this band have some serious musical chops. ‘Cracker Drool’ makes pop music a weird and wonderful thing again. It takes the classic 60s girl group sound and funnels it through The Horrors classic ‘Primary Colours’. Whereas ‘Crow Cries’, sounds like the Savages on acid trip and ‘Country Sleaze’ is a guttural dirge guitar anthem.

Then there is ‘Scum’, this joyous piss take of modern day Great Britain. Musically, it’s a cross between The Coral and Cabbage. It’s pop music at its dialectical best. It’s sardonic yet huggable, it’s cutting but accepting, it’s shambolic but fully formed. It’s fucking great!

Be sure to check them out on their tour in April:

http://goatgirl.co.uk/live/

The Shimmer Band

Ambition isn’t everything, but, if more bands had it, then perhaps they could assault the top 40 a terrify parents and grandparents once more. The Shimmer Band, a five piece from Bristol, have it in abundance and are hell bent on headlining anything they can get their hands on. DO they have the tunes to back it up?

What Is Mine?

It's clear to see why they are the natural successors to Kasabian on this offing. Their approach to synths is one of boozy hedonism that reaches for the stars.

The bass hooks keep everything from spilling over to ‘Be Here Now’ indulgence and, thus allows front man Tom Newman become an swaggering psychedelic overlord.

Jacknife and the Death Call

Another slice of synth fuelled rock n roll. A dangerous game to play, so many get it wrong. Too many are fucking Keane! For now, The Shimmers walk this tight rope to perfection on this fist pumping pop song.

If they were to have a mission statement, its perfectly contained in the chorus:

“We’re never gonna die”

This isn’t a throwaway cliché for the band. Their sound is clearly striving to deliver something big and demanding to be consider rock n roll greats. With all the dialectical tripe of Brexit, their forthright sense of freedom is wholly refreshing.

Sunkick

Every band needs that one hit to reel the masses in, this is theirs. Newman’s angelic vocal is unapologetically pop music nirvana. As the melody soars around him, memories of the utmost personal happiness will race to the foreground of your minds.

The Mercury Music Award will never touch this, but, for the soon to be millions cherishing this to their hearts and singing aloud at gigs, no one will ever care!

Blackwaters

Blackwaters are a four piece from Surrey consisting of Maximlian Tanner (vox), David Carpenter (guitars), Ollie Franklin (bass) and James Watkins (drums).

They are about to head out with Shimmer Band and Bang Bang Romeo as part of This Feeling’s biggest ever tour. Lets check them out:

Let The Good Times Roll

Musically combining the more visceral moments of the Pistols with furious piano smashing RnB of The Faces and Jim Jones Revue, this isn’t for the faint hearted.

Frontman Maximilian has a chameleon quality, blending elements of Rod, Jamie T, Tom Clarke and Strummer but always sounding distinctly fresh. As long as the song writing doesn’t dry up, its hard not to envisage a long career.

Fuck Yeah

This brash angst ridden track pays homage to the punk-rock fire of Slaves and Sleaford Mods with its venomous verses and Oi style chorus. Festivals were ablaze with mosh pits as this decadent stormer bull dozed its way into hearts and minds.

Down

If Sid Vicious' look had a sound, this was it. The filth and the fury courses through the veins of this Undertones pop behemoth.

When The Enemy burst onto the scene with 'Had Enough' and 'Away From Here', there was an almost instant outpouring of adoration. It’s hard to envisage how this doesn’t go one step further. It takes the melodic ferocity of the Coventry outfit and adds the infectious wit of Jamie T.

Iridesce

Camden’s Iridesce comprise of Marco Spieth (lead vocals, piano, rhythm guitar), James Doig (lead guitar), Thomas Guizzetti (Bass / backing vox) and Joe Bennett (23, drums). They recently won the battle of bands competition to open the Shiiine On Weekender in November. So what exactly will they be bringing to the main stage at Minehead:

Rise

The deep tone of singer Marco Speith in the vocal is going to bring Tom Meighan comparisons, but, the inclination to pull on the heart strings like the forever morbid Matt Berninger (The National) and the brooding industrial qualities of Tom Smith (The Editors) will put that one to bed.

Some bands spend a lifetime building towards this level of epic so, to have this in the armoury so early is remarkable. What’s truly great about this, is that you feel they haven’t quite nailed it. They haven’t failed, it feels like there is more to come. Brace yourself.

Bloodlines

Iridesce have hit upon a radio friendly gem here. Speith’s big vocals deliver a hook for both young and old to shout into their hair brushes. Meanwhile, the gentile and shimmering guitars straddle that line of mainstream and underground to great effect. There is enough for the shoegaze and c86 officanados and more than enough to reel in the casual Killers and Kings of Leon fans.

W H Lung

Inspiration

This isn’t your ordinary 7 minute slice of motorik and krautrock. Rather than being other worldly, it’s a hard hitting indictment of the times:

“Qualms with the young / Qualms with the ill / Qualms with the poor / It’s an honoured agreement”

On the flip side, this isn’t your average angst ridden punk song. The guitar playing is expansive and urgent, commanding your full attention throughout. If Primal Scream had cultivated this mesh of political bile and creativity on guitars, the music rags would explode (rightly so), so, let us ignite the flame for W H Lung for all to see and hear.  

Nothing Is

Slower building than ‘Inspiration!’ but, it never lacks in the emotive department. Vocally, it’s reminiscent of Johnny Marr’s former prodigy Gary Briggs (Haven). Meanwhile, musically it takes the more melodic moments of PiL and Toy at their most destructive. It’s a real credit to the band and producer Matt Peel (Eagulls and Pulled Apart by Horses) that ‘Nothing Is’ lands with real impact. There is so much going on here, it would have been easy for so many layers to become lost.

The Cult Collective

Hailing from Coventry and Birmingham, The Cult Collective are a three piece band consisting of Jake Goodman (vox & guitar), Dale Medlicott (bass), and Ben Gibbs (drums).

The Story of Adelaide

Big character storytelling has always been strong point for British Bands since The Kinks, and Story of Adelaide follows in this fine tradition. Adelaide, a whirlwind personality careering through sexual conquests and drugs, you’d think would be portrayed negatively. However, Goodman’s guitars channel Oasis’ ‘Columbia’ meets The Strokes debut album to conjure enormous affection for the heroine.

Speed Dial

Goodman’s vocals are yet again key to their success here. While the guitars fire like sirens from The Strokes and latterly, BRMC, Goodman’s sense of innocence cuts through the aggression. In turn, it gives a great balance between the immediacy of punk and the swirling rock n roll riffs.

Seeking Thrills

Perhaps, had Oasis not been coked of their tits during ‘Be Here Now’, this would have been the result. The big operatic sounds of ‘All Around the World’ are in full swing but crucially, they are embedded with menace. The throbbing bass, eerie choir like backing vocals stagger like a drunk towards a gloriously deranged solo.

Arable Desert

Arable Desert are three piece from London consisting of Ben, Charlie and Allesandro. Having met in the Spitalfields Fred Perry store, they have become a formidable psyche outfit.

Finding a place between Jimi Hendrix, The Coral and Shuggie Otis seems almost impossible but managed it they have.

Here’s a taste of what you can find on their Spotify page:

Sweet Getaway

This soulful psyche number has that withdrawn drug addled brilliance of Mama’s and Papas and Jefferson Airplane. It allows frontman Ben to showcase his 60s soul via Stephen Stills vocals to perfection.

Head and shoulders above everything though, is a pysche gfuitar solo which just melts away into the ether as though Tame Impala and The Coral had never existed. Glorious!

The early guitar solo steals the show though. In 2017, where the hell is this coming from?!? It melts away effortlessly and will make you doubt if those Tame Impala records will ever see the light of day again. 

Let You High

Opening with a big Hendrix style riff, ‘Let You High’ channels its love of 60s garage music in the most laid back of vibes. It has an effortlessness to it, which will make their peers insanely jealous and fans worship them a la Wayne's World.

Keep It Moving

Well, if you wasn’t sure about their love of Hendrix, you will be after twenty seconds of ‘Keep It Moving’. Hendrix’s masterpiece ‘Voodoo Child’ is front and centre in the opening guitar parts.

They cool things off during the verses, Ben’s gruff soul vocals are given space to shine and lead into the sweatiest of lo-fi via blues of guitar solos.

The White Tips

The White Tips are a three piece (Lawrence - Vocals, Hristo - Bass/Vocals, Paul Drums) hailing from Aylesbury. Let's check out a couple of their big riffs to date:

Some Things Never Change

This is a big bluesy rock n roll opening reminiscent of the greatly underrated 22-20’s.

If ever there was a soundtrack to debauched nights in a pub’s backroom dancing to bygone eras of guitar scenes, this is it! It’s full of White Stripes-esque guitars but, there is a English innocence to them which can only come from suburban desire of escape.

Over Again

Like all great rock n roll bands, The White Tips are walking that line of slick performer’s one minute and catasphrophic failure the next. The danger and unpredictability this brings gives a sense of confrontation immediately. By the time of the solo, you’ll be begging for mercy as this sleaze ridden and hook laden rides into battle.

Come down to the New Cross Inn for our second live all dayer to see The White Tips in action:

https://www.facebook.com/events/189850341501848/permalink/228840744269474/?__mref=mb

The Gallerys

Where there is jingle jangle guitars making pop music, you'll always find Travellers tunes, especially when it is of this calibre.

The Gallerys are a three piece band from Kent and have been on tour with Mod legends The Rifles, and Secret Affair, as well as Britpop prince Mark Morriss (The Bluetones).

You Don't Really Love Her

The spirit of their Medway towns and Liverpool of the 80s lives on in this angelic C86 gem. It channels Sheffield's High Hazels through their home town heroes The Claim and Primal Scream's debut 'Sonic Flower Groove', The Gallerys encapsulate everything great about the paisley scene.

Imperfect Perception

Lifting both the pace and aggression. The Gallerys showcase their punk and garage spirit. Much like the Paul Weller in The Jam, James Wood manages to hold his distinct vocals above the aggressive 60s beat music. As the 'I Am The Resurrection' riff combines with the rasping Jam drums in the latter stages, The Gallerys hint that something special is within their grasp.

Paisley

Another slice of jingle jangle pop heaven. The effortless of Stone Roses' 'Sugar Spun Sister' combines with the relentlessness of The La's 'Timeless Melody'.